My middle child is just starting high school, and tonight she made the varsity soccer team. Her two older sisters are also on the varsity team. You should have seen her tonight, she was a fucking beast in both the middle and back field. She's not tall, but she outran every single person on the field, and her ball control is just unreal.
This might not seem like a big deal to most of you. This is my child that struggles desperately with making friends and finding social groups. She desires social interaction, but is socially awkward. Being on any team instantly creates a community, and we've seen from past experience that she gels well with teammates. Plus, making varsity gives her small "celebrity" status because so few freshman make it. Now there is some excitement about going to high school instead of just anxiety.
As a parent, this makes me so proud of my kid. What an accomplishment! Soccer here is a massive deal, and we love it and our kids have played it their whole lives. This is also my kid who is showing massive promise in hockey. She's motivated, and works hard. But above all of it, my daughter, scared to death of going to a new school where her older sisters are very popular, smiled today when asked about if she was ready to go. Melt my heart. This girl is going to do amazing things, and I'm so damned proud of her.
Not to mention, three of my children will be on ONE team with ONE schedule. That makes life so much easier.
Okay, sorry. End of my bragging moment. Sorry for the rant. This has eased tension that has become more palpable as the school year approaches.